The invention resides in a beverage vending machine for providing and delivering beverages contained in containers, the vending machine including a storage space and a dispensing compartment.
Such beverage vending machines are known in the art and are generally used for dispensing bottled or canned beverages. Vending machines have the advantage that no sales personnel is needed and that they can be operated independently of store hours. As a result, beverages can be purchased at any time.
However, these vending machines are not suitable for dispensing a relatively large amount of beverages. Since every can or bottle needs to be individually removed from the apparatus, the dispensing of a larger amount of beverages is awkward and time consuming.
In addition, it provides for a large amount of individual cans or bottles which are difficult to carry or which make it necessary for the purchasers to bring along transport containers.
If a large amount of beverages is needed, they are generally ordered for home delivery or they are purchased at beverage distributorships. This can be done however only during normal business hours. It is, therefore, impossible to purchase larger amounts of beverages outside the normal business hours in a simple manner. Also, sales personnel is needed for the sale of beverages by beverage distributorships.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a beverage vending machine which can dispense large amounts of beverages in a simple manner.